One-arm dead hangs
3 sets of 10 s per arm on a 20 mm edge, 5 s switch, 3 min rest. Take weight off to stay controlled.
- Slot
- Strength
- Focus
- Finger strength
- Time
- 7 min
- Intensity
- Max intensity
- Injury risk
- High injury risk
- Equipment
- 20 mm edge, Pulley, Added weight, Timer
A 20 mm edge is a hangboard edge about as deep as the pad of your fingertip.
High injury risk. Only do this fully warmed up, rested and injury-free, and stop at the first sign of pain in your fingers or elbows. Training is at your own risk.
How to do it
On a 20 mm edge, hang from one arm for 10 seconds with the shoulder engaged (pulled down, not hanging loose), then switch to the other arm for 10 seconds. Rest 3 minutes. Do 3 sets. Use a pulley, a resistance band or a foot on a chair to take off weight, so each hang is hard but controlled. Only for experienced climbers: this puts a big load on fingers and shoulders.
Run it now
The same timer as the app: a five-second get-ready, then every round and rest counted down with a beep. Keep this page open while you train.
One-arm dead hangs
0:00 / 7:20
Ready
7:20
3 rounds
3 sets of 10 s per arm on a 20 mm edge, 5 s switch, 3 min rest. Take weight off to stay controlled.
High risk: read the protocol, stop if anything feels wrong.
- 3
- rounds
- 10s
- hang per side
- 5s
- switch
- 3:00
- rest
- 7:20
- total
Done.
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Take the quizWho it's for
Experienced climbers who already do two-arm max hangs comfortably and want to close the gap between what their fingers can hold with help and what they can hold alone. If you haven't been hangboarding for at least a season, this isn't the next step.
Common mistakes
- Taking off too little weight. Hard but controlled. If the shoulder collapses or the fingers open in the last two seconds, you're training failure.
- Hanging off the joint. Shoulder pulled down and back, slight bend in the elbow. A passive one-arm hang puts the load somewhere you don't want it.
- Letting the body rotate. You'll twist toward the free side. Keep the hips square and the free hand somewhere neutral rather than reaching.
- Assuming both arms need the same assistance. They don't. Set them separately.
- Stacking them on a climbing day. Fresh, or not at all.
How to progress
Remove assistance in small steps, a kilo or two at a time, and hold each level for a few sessions before dropping again. Ten seconds unassisted on a 20 mm edge is a long-term target, not a season's goal.
When it fits
The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.
Strength Stronger fingers and pulling, with weight you control.
Power Explosive moves, momentum and coordination.
Performance Peak for a trip or a comp: focus, reading problems, trying hard.